From staff reports
A new master plan developed for Washington Street Park will feature a performance pavilion, a basketball half-court, a tennis practice court, a rain garden, new landscaping and benches, two murals, and a historic marker.
The master plan, developed by engineering firm Davis & Floyd, was presented at City Council Work Session on March 12.
The historic park, nestled in the Northwest Quadrant neighborhood, is managed by the City of Beaufort and owned by the Beaufort County Community Center, a non-profit. The park was developed in the 1940s when African-American residents donated land for the Beaufort County Negro Recreational Center – the only park in the City at the time for black families and children. The Beaufort County Community Center is comprised of the descendants of the original families who founded the park.
Fred Washington, Jr., and Mary Thompson, both members of the Beaufort County Community Center, are also members of the Washington Street Park Committee, which was convened in 2023 to help in the development of the master plan. Other members include Beaufort City Councilman Mitch Mitchell, City of Beaufort staff, and several neighborhood residents. Downtown Operations Director Linda Roper is overseeing the project.
Since the City of Beaufort began to manage Washington Street Park, it has installed restrooms and a new playground.
The master plan’s focal point will be a new performance pavilion, which has a very simple and natural design, with wooden columns that will hide electronics. Pavilion architect James Steverson said his mandate was to design a pavilion that would both “fit into this neighborhood” and accommodate performances. Fred Washington added, “We wanted a natural look. We’re trying to incorporate some of the history that we brought to the Historic District.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in late May and be completed by the end of the year.
The estimated cost of improvements to the park is $1.275 million. It is being funded through two grants, amounting to $330,000, with the balance coming from the Parks & Tourism Revenue Bond.
